APRIL 2021
A Message from the School Nutrition Foundation
This spring, the School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) created an exciting virtual fundraising event, Walk with a Purpose! Participants registered for the event, and then either went for a walk, jog, run, dance, or skip a 5K distance (3.1 miles) during the week of April 15-22, 2021, to support our school nutrition front line heroes.

Before COVID-19 school shutdowns nationwide, school nutrition professionals were serving healthy meals to 30 million students every day. Today, we ask these nutrition professionals to be heroes, working on the frontlines to ensure that children who depend on these meals don’t go hungry.

These caring and selfless heroes join the ranks of first responders during this unprecedented time. 
The walk started with a Kick-off Pep Rally to our virtual “Walk With a Purpose” 5K Walkathon. The Welcome Pep Rally was held on April 14, 2021. The Walkathon continued for the week of April 15-22, 2021.

Pep Rally Special Guests Included:

  • Reggie Ross, SNS, SNA President
  • Julia Bauscher, SNS, SNF Board Chair
  • Tara Sharpe, K-12 Team Leader, National Food Group / Zee Zees
  • Zee Zees team mascot, Ozzie!
  • Surprise Cameo from Drew Brees, former NFL quarterback of the New Orleans Saints!
  • Franco Harris, Owner and CEO of Super Bakery, Inc. and Pittsburgh Steeler Hall of Famer, who widely known for his "Immaculate Reception," which was voted by the fans as the #1 NFL 100 Greatest Plays of all time!
With the help of our sponsors, fundraising teams and individual donors, we raised over $42,500. We cannot thank you all enough for your support. The funds raised will help us award more grants and scholarships to deserving SNA members.

If you were not able to participate or donate during Walk With a Purpose, please consider being a part of building the future of school nutrition by donating today. Your donation will make a difference and build a better future for school nutrition professionals and the children they feed. We are proud to serve members and non-members alike and will continue to do so during 2021. School Nutrition professionals are our heroes!

Sincerely,
SNF Staff

Professional Development Scholarships

The SNF scholarship committee selected the 2021 professional development scholarship award winners at the end of April. Every year the School Nutrition Foundation provides education scholarships for SNA members with funding for tuition and books for the following school year.

Since 1983, Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., has made an annual donation to offer multiple scholarships of up to $2,500 each. We could not do this without the generous support of Schwan’s Food Service, Inc. it’s continued dedication to the men and women in the school nutrition field is incredible. We are proud to partner with companies like Schwan’s!
The Nancy Curry Scholarship is funded by Handgards, Inc., and friends of Nancy. One scholarship of $500 is awarded each year.

Congratulations to the following recipients:

  • Amy A'Hearn, SNS, Southeast Polk Comm School District, IA
  • Stefanie Almond, SNS, Cabarrus County Schools, NC
  • Stacey Bettis, Minerva Local School District, OH
  • Tracy Blanchard, Monson Public Schools, MA
  • Kelsey Brommel, Robbinsdale School District 281, MN
  • Pamela Bruns, Robbinsdale School District 281, MN
  • Laura Burns, Virginia DOE, VA
  • Teena Carr, Putnam County Charter Schools, GA
  • Christopher Coggins, Maplewood Richmond Heights, MO
  • Sherry DeHaven, Potomack Intermediate School, WV
  • Matthew Franklin, Henrico County Public Schools, VA
  • Shannon Fullmer, Bonneville Joint School District 93, ID
  • Crissy Garner, Limestone County School District, TN
  • Jeremy Hetrick, Henderson Collegiate, NC
  • Keba Laird, MBA, RDN, SNS, Clinton Public School District, MS
  • Carmen Lerma, SNS, Region 1 Education Service Center, TX
  • Sheila Martellio, Jefferson County School District, TN
  • Missy Ortman, Clear Creek Amana Comm School District, IA
  • Brittany Panzenhagen, Johnson City School District, TN
  • Crystal Parsley, New Kent County Public Schools, VA
  • Nelson Reames RD, SNS, Howard County Public School District, MD
  •  Traci Simonton, SNS, Indian River School District, FL
  • Rachel Wilder, Thomaston-Upson County School District, GA

These opportunities include academic aid for those pursuing a vocational/technical, undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate degree in a school nutrition-related field of study within the United States. The Schwan’s Professional Development, SNA Professional Development, and SNF Professional Growth scholarship(s) award up to $2,500 each. The Nancy Curry Scholarship awards one scholarship of $500.

Professional development is critical not only to those beginning their careers in school nutrition but also for those seeking to deepen their understanding and competencies for more sustainable school nutrition programs. You can help make education dreams come true for SNA members by establishing a named scholarship or contributing to our existing scholarship programs. To date, SNF has awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships to deserving members. SNA member scholarships fund continuing formal education and attendance at SNA conferences. Because we understand the challenging times for your company, SNF has made it possible to create a named scholarship over a 5-year payment plan. Please inquire for more details and find out how you can honor an individual or your company with a named professional growth or conference scholarship. For more information, please write to Dana Clerkin, SNF Fund Development Consultant at dclerkin@schoolnutrition.org.

2021 Equipment Grants

The SNF announced the winners of its 2021 Equipment Grant Program on April 7, 2021. Five school nutrition professionals are each being awarded up to $65,000 worth of equipment to benefit their school meal programs.

Facing continued challenges stemming from the pandemic, school nutrition professionals around the country applied for SNF Equipment Grants in the fall of 2020, hoping for an opportunity to upgrade or improve their kitchen and cafeteria operations to benefit the students they serve.

The winners are:

  • Joni Besgrove, Food Service Director for Prairie Central CUSD #8 in Fairbury, IL - SNF Collection Grant recipient
  • Terrie Coggins, Child Nutrition Program Director for Oneonta City Schools in Oneonta, AL - SNF Vulcan Equipment Grant recipient
  •  Nadine Doucette, Director of Foodservices for Whitman-Hanson Regional School District in Whitman, MA - SNF Hobart Equipment Grant recipient
  •  Robert Frati, Food Service Director for Methuen Public Schools in Methuen, MA - SNF Winston Equipment Grant recipient
  • Lori McCoy, Food Service Director for Colonial School District in Lafayette Hill, PA - SNF Collection Grant recipient
The 2021 Equipment Grants are made possible by generous contributions from Vulcan and Hobart (divisions of ITW Food Equipment Group), Winston Foodservice, CMA Dish Machines, Innoseal Systems, Cambro Manufacturing, Sterno Delivery Equipment, Lakeside Manufacturing Equipment, TekVisions and Unox Equipment.

For more information, please view our national press release here.

SNF’s Golden Ticket Raffle During Virtual ANC 2021
Mark your calendars! SNF will be holding another virtual $10,000 Golden Ticket raffle during SNA’s Annual National Conference (ANC). The Golden Ticket will open on May 11th, 2021 and will run through #ANC2021. The winners will be announced July 15th, 2021. Registration for ANC is now open, have you registered yet? Get ready to see the possibilities – and embrace the future! Mark your calendars now and join SNA’s virtual Annual National Conference, July 12-15, 2021! Learn more and register today. Don’t miss your chance to win $10,000 this July!

Recruiting SNF Ambassadors for 2021-2022

Would you be interested in volunteering for a leadership position for your state association as an SNF State Ambassador?

The State Ambassador Program provides an opportunity for State Associations to raise funds that support the SNF. Ambassadors help raise funds for the Foundation and help spread the word about what it does for SNA members. Everything from increasing the number of professional development programs to providing a variety of scholarships is at the core of SNF’s mission. Check on your state's programs by following this link https://www.schoolnutritionfoundation.org/state-ambassador-leaderboard/ 

The SNF State Ambassadors volunteer their time and effort in helping to bring the Foundation’s mission and benefits to SNA members. The top states in each of SNA’s three membership categories for State Ambassador fundraising in 2020 are Oregon (division 1-600), Colorado (division 601-1200) and Minnesota (division 1,200+). Congratulations to Ambassadors Anne Leavens, SNS, from Oregon, Erika Edwards, SNS, from Colorado and Kathy Burrill, SNS, from Minnesota. Thank you to members in ALL 50 states for raising $70,000 in 2020 for the School Nutrition Foundation’s (SNF) Annual Fund campaign.

Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom

Already planning your back-to-school breakfast service? Visit The Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom to find resources like case studies, sample assessments, videos, and more, that will help you scale any grab-n-go or direct delivery meal service. Remember to visit the online Operations & Equipment Guide on the SNF website to help you plan equipment for any type of alternative meal service, from grab-n-go to direct delivery.
L.E.A.D. to Succeed Training Grant

“LEARN to Master Difficult Conversations” is now LIVE! The first module in the LEAD to Succeed™ “Communicate for Impact” series open to all school nutrition professionals at no cost through SNA’s Training Zone. In addition, we recently launched a new Facilitator’s Guide to help directors bring this exciting training to staff members. Developed in partnership with the Georgetown McDonough School of Business, and funded by a $2m USDA grant, all LEAD to Succeed™ trainings are available to school nutrition professionals at no cost. Learn more: www.schoolnutrition.org/LEAD

In closing, be on the lookout for our quarterly Foundation Focus and please pass the message along to anyone you feel might be interested in hearing more about the School Nutrition Foundation. If you have any questions, please reach out to SNF@schoolnutrition.org.